Endangered Status The Masked Bobwhite, a southwestern subspecies of the Northern Bobwhite, is on the U.S. Endangered Species List. It is classified as endangered in Arizona. The Masked Bobwhite was eliminated from Arizona around the turn of the 20th century when its natural grassland habitat was devastated by the establishment of large cattle ranches in the area. Small numbers of these elusive quail survive in Mexico, and efforts are being made to restore and protect their habitat there. Masked Bobwhite habitat has been reestablished in Arizona's Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has reintroduced the bobwhite there.